The present invention relates to alternators and vehicle charging and communication systems.
Many vehicles have more than one alternator that is used to convert mechanical energy to electrical energy. For example, vehicles such as trucks, buses and commercial vehicles often include multiple alternators. Lighter vehicles may also employ multiple alternators.
When multiple alternators are employed in a single vehicle, they often have the same construction. Modern vehicles typically include a communication network which allows communication between the multiple alternators and a vehicle controller.
When employing multiple alternators it is useful for the controller to be able to identify each of the separate alternators. This is particularly true for diagnostic messages which communicate a fault or error in one of the alternators. One issue that makes identifying each of the separate alternators problematic is that electrical connections with the alternator can be subject to significant temperature variations and vibrations. These conditions can cause such connections to fail intermittently or completely.
A robust system and method that enables the vehicle controller to identify each of a plurality of alternators is desirable.